About 91 percent of Bay Area residents say it is important to have a regional ferry system ready to help out in case of terrorist attack or natural disaster, according to a recent poll by a business-backed public policy group.

The Bay Area Council last week announced it had formed a task force to meet the request of state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, for information on what infrastructure, such as ships and terminals; legislative changes; and money would be needed to create this regional network.

The council’s poll seems to show strong support for such a network, at least when people are asked how important it would be “(i)n a disaster, such as an earthquake or large-scale terrorist attack, when freeways, BART and bridges might be out of service.” Sixty-five percent said “extremely important” and 26 percent said “somewhat important.”

The poll surveyed 600 residents of the nine-county Bay Area in English or Spanish from Jan. 16-23; it has a 4 percent margin of error.

Bay Area Council president and CEO Jim Wunderman issued a statement saying the poll reinforces his contention that “(n)ot putting ferries on the Bay for disaster recovery, with full knowledge of the threats, is like New Orleans not strengthening its levees, knowing the hurricane was on its way.”

The council believes a ferry network also would lessen the region’s traffic woes. The poll showed 44 percent of respondents feel traffic congestion is a very serious problem, and 36 percent more saying it’s somewhat serious.

And 23 percent said a regional ferry system should be a top priority for any new state or federal transportation money available to the Bay Area; 50 percent said it should be an important priority, and 22 percent said it’s not too important.

The poll surveyed 600 residents of the nine-county Bay Area in English or Spanish from Jan. 16 to 23; it has a 4 percent margin of error. The Bay Area Council was formed in 1945 and includes CEOs of more than 275 of the region’s largest employers.

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